Electric-railway system.



No. 830,131. PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906.

W. M. BROWN. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APB-27,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

m L WM Mrf HQm No.830,131. PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906.

' W. M. BROWN.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION IILED APR. 27, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT ora ion,

YVILLIALWI MILTON BRO\VN, OF JOHNS O\VN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VAN 1A.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

Application filed April 27, 1905. Serial No. 257,764.

To (LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MILTON BROWN, of J ohnstown, in the county of 0ambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric-Railway Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyin drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to third-rail electric-railway systems of that class wherein the third rail is in sections insulated from each other, the sections being successively engaged by a passing car or train through the medium of electromagnetic switches, which are closed by a magnet or magnets on the car or train.

My invention is designed to provide a systern of this character in which the third rail,

together with one of the track-rails, may be used to transmit magnetism from the carmagnet to the armatures of the eircuitclosing switches, thereby obviating the use of an independent rail or rails for this purpose and also permitting the use of a comparatively small and light car-magnet.

A further object is to so arrange the circuitclosin devices that they may be readily accessibfe for inspection and repairs and also protected against the entrance of water.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all substantially as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of railway embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a side view of a portion of track and car thereon and illustrating the car-magnet and currentcollecting device; Fig. 3, a transverse section of the track and showing in end elevation a portion of a car thereon; Fi 4, a top plan view of one of the circuit-closing devices and showing its connection to the adjacent rails, and Fig. 5 a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

The numerals 1 and 2 designate the usual track-rails, and 3 the sectional third rail, which in the present instance is shown supported outside of the rail 2 011 insulators 4.

Between the rails 2 and 3 are placed the Circuit-closing switches, which are indicated in Fig. 1 by the numeral 5, which designates more particularly the insulating cover portions thereof. These switch devices, as herein shown, with the exception of the cover and the means by which they are connected to the rails 2 and 3, are of the general character described and claimed in the patent to McFeaters, No. 618,179, dated January 24, 1899, with certain improvements thereto. They each consist of an insulating body or base 6, having a cavity in which is seated in fluid or semifluid insulating material 7 a sectional cup 8, of insulating material. In this cup is an armature 9, carrying an electrode 9, arranged to be lifted by the carmagnet into contact with a fixed electrode 10. The electrode 9 is connected by a flexible conductor 11 with a conducting-piece 10 in the bottom of the cup and which is in turn electrically connected with a supply cable 12. The cable 12 is led into the terminal plug 13 through the sleeves 14 and 15.

The electrode 10 is fastened to and electrically connected with conducting-piece 16 in the top of the cup. The top portion or cover 5 is convex on its upper surface, and its lower surface is shaped to receive the top portion of the cup 8. Said cover is of insu lating material and is provided with the grooves 5 on its upper surface for the purpose of carrying off water from its surface. This cover entirely closes in the cavity in which the switching mechanism is located and keeps all water therefrom. Molded in this cover is a conductor 17 and also two arms 18 and 19, of magnetic material, the

arm 18, to which the conductor 17 is electrically connected, being also of good conducting material. The conductor 17 has a screwthreaded aperture in its under side, which receives a threaded stud 16" of the conductor '16, whereby the cup and cover are securely joined. The arm 18 is shaped to form a separable joint at 20 with an arm 21, which is connected to the web of the third rail 3 and which is of good magnetic and electric conductivity. The arm 19 forms a similar separable ]0l11t at 22 with an arm 23, sea cured to the web of the track-rail 2, and which is a good magnetic conductor.

24 designates the car-magnet, having an energizingcoil 25 and two parallel depending pole-pieces 26 and 27, the magnet being so mounted on the car that these pole-pieces f back to the other pole of the magnet.

will be, respectively, over the rails 2 and 3, as clearlyshown in Fig. 3. The coil may be connected in the car-circuit in any usual manner.

Carried by the pole-piece 27 by means of the links 28 and a guiding-stud 29 is a current-collecting shoe 30, which makes contact I with the surface of the third rail 3, being held to such contact by means of a spring 31.

The operation will be readily understood. The car-magnet on a passing car being 61161: gized in any suitable manner, wherever it comes over one of the switch devices a mag-- arms 18 and 21, to rail 3, and thence to the collecting-shoe 30, and from thence to the car-motors. (Not shown.)

' One or more of the switches may be connected to each section of the rail 3. By means of the joints at 20 and 22 the cover 5 may be quickly removed, bringing with it the cup 8, which can then be detached, there being a separable connection at 32 between the conductor 10 and the terminal plug 13. VVhile-I prefer to use circuit-closing devices or switches of the character described, it will be readily understood that any suitable form of switch may be employed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to'secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electric-railway system of the character described, the combination of the track-rails, a sectional third rail adjacent to one of said track-rails, and a series of magnetically-actuated circuit-closing devices or switches situated between the third rail and the adjacent track-rail, and lateral arms connected to said third rail and the adjacent track-rail and forming magnetic connections to said switches.

2. In an electric-railway system of the character described, the combination of the track-rails, a sectional third rail adjacent to one of said track-rails, and a series of magnetically actuated circuit closing devices or switches situated between the third rail and the adjacent track-rail, and lateral arms connected to said third rail and the adjacent track-rail and forming magnetic conductors to said switches, one of said arms being also in electrical connection with one of the switch members and with the third rail.

3. In an electric-railway system, of the character described, the track-rails, a sectional third rail adjacent to one of the trackrails, magnetically-actuated circuit-closing travel on the third rail and adjacent trackdevices between the third rail and the adjacent track-rail, arms connected to said third rail and track-rail and extending to the circuit-closing devices to complete magnetic circuits for the armatures thereof, and an electrical connection between a member of each circuit-closing device and a section of the third rail, in combination with car-magnets each having two pole-pieces arranged to 7 5 rail, respectively, and a current-collecting device carried by said magnet and arranged to engage the said third rail.

4. In an electric-railway system of the character described, the combination with a third rail and an adjacent track-rail, of magnetically-actuated circuitclosing devices located between the said rails, and arms connected to each of the said rails and leading to the circuit-closing devices to form a magnetic circuit therefor, said arms being each formed in two separable sections.

5. In an electric-railway system of the character described, the combination with an inclosed, magnetically-actuated circuit-closing device, of a cover portion of insulating material, and having a convex, grooved, upper surface, and conductors of magnetic material extending into said cover portion in proximity to the circuit-closing device. 5

6. In an electric-railway system of. the character described, the combination with a cup of insulating material containing magnetically-actuated circuitclosing devices, of a cover portion of insulating material fitting 100 over the said cup, and having secured therein latprally-extending arms of magnetic mater1a 7. In an electric-railway system of the character described, the combination with a IO 5 cup of insulating material containing magnetically-actuated circuit-closing devices, of a cover portion of insulating material fitting over the said cup, and having secured thereon laterally-extending arms of magnetic ma no terial, one of said arms being also electrically connected with the said circuit-closing devices. r

8. In an electric-railway system of the character described, the combination with a 1x 5 cup or vessel of insulating material containing magnetically-actuated circuit-closing devices, of a cover portion of insulating material fitting over and detachably secured to the said cup.

9. In an electric-railway system of the character described, the combination with a cup or vessel of insulating material containing magnetically-actuated circuitclosing devices, of a cover portion of insulating mate- 12 5 rial fitting over and detachably secured to the said cup, said cover portion also having secured therein laterally-projecting arms of magnetic material.

10. In an electric railway system of the -1 o character described, the combination with a base member having a cavity therein, a closed vessel of insulating material seated in the said cavity, and a cover portion of insulating material fitting over the said vessel and closing the said cavity, said cover portion having a convex, grooved, upper surface.

11. In an electric-railway system of the character described, the combination with a base member, having a cavity therein, a closed vessel of insulating material removably seated in the said cavity, a cover portion of insulating material fitting over the said cup and detachably connected thereto, said cover portion having therein an electric conductor connected with circuit-closing devices within the said cup.

12. In an electric-railway system of the character described, the combination with the track-rails, of a sectional third rail adjacent to one of said track-rails, magneticallyactuated circuit-closing devices between the third rail and the adjacent track-rail, arms of magnetic material extending from the third rail and the adjacent track-rail to the said circuit-closim devices, electrical connections from the said devices to the sections 0 the third rail and means for electrically insulatin said devices from the adjacent track-rail. n testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM MILTON BROWN.

Witnesses:

LORETTO OCONNELL, H. I/V; SMITH. 

